


The Keepers of Infinity

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Characters listed if they had a line, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Valentine's Day, Women of MCU, most relationships are background, not romantic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 04:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17759597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: There's more than one way to skin a cat - creepy as that sounds.  Or maybe as Darcy would say it . . . there's more than one way to defeat a Thanos - they just need to get the right people in place.





	The Keepers of Infinity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Meilan_Firaga](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meilan_Firaga/gifts).



> For the Women of MCU's St. Valentine's exchange . . . not that it's romantic. XD I certainly hope the recipient enjoys the gift!
> 
> Posting early due to my schedule on both the 13th & 14th.
> 
> This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE - there's a bunch that matches canon, but a bunch that doesn't.

[ ](https://imgur.com/U5WjrHe)

Darcy Lewis loved her life.

Sure, sometimes the world went a little insane - like those stupid Accords. Whoever thought those things were a good idea should be locked in a room listening to “It’s a Small World” for a year . . . maybe two. Yes, she knew the upswing in the number of powered individuals meant more uncertainty and chaos in the world, but why did anyone think creating new laws would solve the problem? The new laws only worked for the law abiding. Bad guys didn’t give a damn about the law - and those Accords hamstrung the good guys from dealing with situations as they came up.

Unless they went rebel - like Captain America and Black Widow. 

The idea of Captain America as a rebel horrified people, but Darcy thought it fit. What did they expect Steve Rogers to do? The man became Captain America to fight the Nazis, people who turned the registration of people into a bureaucratic nightmare. Darcy knew her people’s history - and she opposed the Accords with every fiber in her being. Which is how she ended up being a go-between for various people, including Pepper, Clint, Steve, and Natasha. 

Not that all of them knew about Pepper Potts. Since Tony originally stood on the opposite side of the so-called civil war, the others kept as far from anything involving Stark as they could manage. Pepper sided with Tony - officially - but she sympathized with the others as well. Did Tony know about his fiancee’s aid to the fugitives? Darcy thought he did.

He just didn’t acknowledge it - family feuds and hurt feelings caused one hell of a chasm.

But yeah, the first point? Darcy loved her life even when things went a little - okay, a lot - crazy. She loved being part of the heroic support team. Though she might consider rethinking that when their luck brought Darcy and Jane to New York on a particularly fateful day.

“What the hell?” 

Winds whipped around them as they stared at the alien ship hanging over the city. People - sensible people anyway - fled the scene, doing their best to put distance between them and the possible alien army. This city saw all the weird stuff, so people learned fast if they wanted to survive. Granted, there would always be the stupid ones who stopped to look or try and film it, but Darcy figured that’s when natural selection came into play. Of course, what did that currently say about her and her best friend - clearly **not** running away? Then again, they did have a pretty good record of survival when it came to these kind of things, but usually they had help from the tall, blond, and studly.

And since Thor didn’t seem inclined to make an unexpected appearance at this one . . . 

“Do we always have to be in place for an alien invasion?” Annoyance sharpened Darcy’s tone as she hurried after her best friend. “And why are we running _towards_ the big circling ship?”

“We weren’t here for the Chitauri,” Jane reminded her. “And we need to see if there’s something we can do to help!”

“Seriously?” 

Jane paid no attention, continuing her advance towards the heart of the panic engulfing Manhattan. 

“I love Jane,” Darcy insisted, her eyes focused on her friend as she talked to God or whatever other powers might be listening. “I do. But I didn’t want to die for six college credits and I’m really not in the mood to die for science either.”

Reaching the eye of the storm, they found Iron Man, Spider Man, and Doctor Strange facing off against a tall, large, and clearly alien purple guy. As they traded barbs and quips, Darcy tried to look around to see what minions and/or henchmen might be siding with the bad guy of the week. Every villain had them, right? Her handful of meetings with Clint and Natasha told her she needed to gather as much intel as possible before they jumped further into this. With all the craziness going on, that might not be too easy, but at least the top bad guy was obvious.

“Okay, so who’s the purple dude?”

“I don’t know.” Something icy slid down Darcy’s back at the tone coming out of Jane’s mouth. Her eyes shot from the chaos to the petite scientist to see her face harden in fury. “But he’s got my Stone.”

“Your stone?” Bewilderment shoved out the last of her fear. “What do you mean - your stone?”

Not bothering to answer, Jane strode forward, her eyes intent on the large alien. 

“She’s finally lost her mind.” Darcy screwed up her face. “Damn it.” Heaving out a breath, she followed her friend further into the maelstrom. She might not want to die for science, but she’d risk it for Jane. “For the record?” she called out. “If I die, I’m going to haunt your ass!”

“Nobody’s dying!” Jane called back.

“Your mouth to God’s ear.” Her mutter lost in the sounds of battle, she rushed over to stand at Jane’s shoulder. “Now what, Doc?”

“I take my Stone back.”

Darcy’s phone buzzed at her hip and she snatched it up. “Hey, yeah, whoever this is, it’s a really bad time.”

“What the hell are you two doing?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be tossing your sparkling wit at the rock-faced guy?” Okay, so Tony Stark might not have been last on the list of people she expected to hear on her phone, but he fell into the bottom half. “Why are you talking to me?”

“You two need to get the hell out of here.”

“Tell that to Dr. Pissed Off. Jane’s in a mood about his glitters and wants hers back.”

“Hers?”

“Beats the hell out of me!” Darcy huffed, still standing beside Jane as she glared at the unknown alien. “She says the new guy’s got her rock.” She paused. “Who the hell is this guy?”

“I am Thanos,” the alien announced. “And if you are so eager to die, women, I would be willing to fulfill your desire.” He started to reach towards them and Darcy tensed, trying to figure out how to get Jane and herself out of the line of fire.

“Give me my Stone!” 

Jane threw out her hand as if to snatch the stone from him and Thanos laughed. His amusement choked off a few seconds later when the blue stone pulsed, glittered, and broke away from his glove, flying directly into Jane’s open hand. 

“Woman!” A wrathful insanity gleamed in his hard eyes. “How dare you?”

“Darcy!” She turned, holding out her empty hand. “Time to go!”

“Go where?” But even as she threw out the question, Darcy reached out to take her friend’s hand. Whatever might be going on, she trusted Jane to tell her the truth . . . even if it might take a while for her to get to the point. Besides - the giant purple alien man looked pretty pissed off right this moment. Her fingers linked with Jane’s . . . 

. . . and the world . . . 

. . . shifted.

She blinked, looking around at the odd place. “Uh, Jane?” Her eyes scanned the barren landscape and forbidding sky. With the sun in full eclipse, it look foreboding and scary as hell. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t know where we are,” Jane repeated. “But the Soul Stone is here.”

“Okay, look, I know you’re the genius and I’m the sidekick and comic relief, but a little more information would be nice right about now.” Darcy huffed out a breath as she planted her fists on her hip and glared at her friend-slash-boss. “What the hell is it with these stones?”

“They’re the Infinity Stones.” 

“And we know this because…?”

“Do you trust me?”

“I’ve gone with you all over the damn planet hunting energy readings,” she pointed out. “Then when anyone with a half a lick of sense ran, I stayed to help prevent dark elves from invading the planet. On top of everything, I followed you into the heart of another invasion without a damn clue as to what we were doing and grabbed your hand rather than running away from one ticked off alien.” She threw up her hands. “Of course I trust you!”

“Then come with me,” Jane pleaded. “Please? You’ll understand as soon as we get the Soul Stone.”

She sighed, her shoulders dropping in surrender. “Okay, fine . . . but you owe me all the margaritas when we get home.”

While the path seemed like it went on forever, it didn’t feel too difficult. Worn by centuries of who knew how many feet walking along it, it sloped steadily up to the summit. As they made their way up the mountain, they found a large stone arch. Through it they spotted something that looked like a temple.

“Guess we can try there?” Darcy murmured.

Jane nodded. “That way,” she agreed, pointing towards the building.

Two more steps towards the arch and a cloaked figure appeared, gathering from the darkness itself. 

“Welcome.”

A chill ran through Darcy at the sound of the voice. Soft, cultured . . . and dark; it gave her the creeps.

“Jane, daughter of Matthew.”

Okay, **now** she really didn’t like this. How the hell did this . . . wraith know them?

“Darcy, daughter of Cory.” 

“You know who we are?” Jane demanded.

“It is my curse to know all who journey here.”

“Where is the Soul Stone?”

“You should know,” he whispered, “it extracts a terrible price.”

Jane’s chin tilted up. “We are prepared.”

The figure settled to the ground. “We all think that at first.” He stepped forward, the light illuminating the darkness under the hood. “We are all wrong.”

Shock ran through Darcy at the sight of the red skull staring at them from within those shadows. While she’d met powerful aliens and seen the frightening things that seemed to enjoy invading Earth, few of them elicited the gut-stabbing anger and fear this one gave her. But then . . . she knew her people’s history - and she’d heard of Johann Schmidt, the Nazi also known as ‘Red Skull’. 

“A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess.”

“Sucks to be you,” she muttered.

“Indeed.” 

He glided away, leading them towards the temple-like structure. A semicircular engraving overlooked a sheer drop, descending three shallow steps to a final half-circle cutout. The whole thing seemed to be bisected by a deep cut running between the two tall spires. Far, far below, Darcy saw a full circle with similar engraved decorations.

“What you seek lies before you,” Red Skull announced. “As does what you fear.”

Jane frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

“The price.” He stood as still as any of the stones surrounding them, only his eyes holding any life. “Soul holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom.”

“What kind of price are we talking about here?” Darcy demanded.

“To ensure that whoever possesses it,” he began, “that they understand its power…” He tilted his head. “The stone demands a sacrifice.”

“Of what?”

“In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul…” His eyes shifted to Jane. “For a soul.” 

“And you can kiss my ass, you wannabe megalomaniac!” Darcy darted between them. “You’re getting to her over my dead body!”

“I won’t be the one to kill her.” She couldn’t have said what that note in his voice might have been, but she didn’t like it. “If you want the Stone, you’ll be the one doing the killing. Only by killing her can you take it.”

“Like hell.”

They stood at an impasse. Darcy didn’t know where to go from here. Sure, maybe they needed this stone - Jane sure thought they did - but she wouldn’t be a party to any kind of killing of her friend. Her life? Okay, she might be able to sacrifice herself for the world . . . maybe. She wasn’t positive she had that kind of heroic streak in her, but maybe she could do that. 

But not Jane.

Not the woman who was her sister in all but blood.

“Choose,” Red Skull ordered. “Offer the sacrifice or leave.”

“Bite me!”

Denial rang out in her voice, her mind, her very soul . . . 

. . . and something in the air rang in answer.

Shock shone in Red Skull’s eyes as the stones around them began to hum, then glow. For a moment time seemed to stand still as that note hung in the air. Then a bright light burst all around them. Blinded by that light, Darcy could feel tears gathering in her eyes, beginning to streak down her cheeks. Then the light began to condense, changing colors as it did until a golden orange glow - like that of a sunrise - shone around her. It grew smaller and smaller until she saw it . . . 

The Soul Stone.

Her hand reached out to grasp it, plucking it from the air and curling her fingers around it. Memories washed over her, through her, opening doors in her mind and her heart. Past lives flickered in her mind and settled into her memory, taking root and reminding her of the powers and people who once made up vital pieces of her life. As she saw each face, she laughed.

People who **once** made up her life?

Try **still** made up her life!

Sisters and friends.

Guards and fellow keepers.

Did they always travel in a pack? Alway choosing to be reborn so they would cross each others’ paths?

Finally the light began to fade and she could see once again. Music - sometimes harmonious, sometimes dissonant - filled her head as she stared up at the stars and listened to the songs of souls winding through her mind. Even with the distraction, she knew the two of them stood alone in the desolation.

Jane looked around, a little dazed. “Now what?”

Whispers, screams, quiet words, and louder calls . . . Darcy combed through them, pushing them to the side so she could focus on her sister. It took longer than expected, but she put that down to how long it had been since the last time she possessed her full powers. After a few moments, though, she managed to focus on her companion. “What do you mean, now what?” she chuckled. “You’ve been hauling us all over the universe!”

“I just knew I had to get you to your Stone.” She spread her hands. “That was the easy part.”

“You’ll always be my favorite.” Darcy shook her head before turning her eyes up to the stars. “I think we should go deal with that idiot invading our home - then we find our sisters.”

“He’s got the Power Stone.”

“Yep.” Her lips twitched. “So maybe we should find Wanda first?”

“That’s your job,” Jane pointed out. “You find her and I’ll get us there.”

“So noisy,” she murmured. “I forgot how noisy it could be…” Her words trailed off as she found the soul she wanted. Reaching out, she took Jane’s hand and then focused on their sister. She could feel the other souls surrounding her, their familiar sounds warm and soothing in her mind. “I’ve got her.”

“Let’s hope we don’t get shot.”

Again the world shifted and when it resolved itself, Darcy blinked to see a gun pointed at her head. She blinked a second time to focus on the face behind the weapon. “I’d really rather you not shoot me, Tasha.”

“What the hell?” Sam stared at them. “Where did you two come from?”

“Won’t that make one heck of a story.” Darcy grinned at him. “Would you believe me if I told you we came from a galaxy far, far away?”

“Given everything I’ve seen in the past couple of years? I’d buy it.”

“Hold that thought,” Steve frowned. “Why are you here?”

“We need to borrow Wanda.”

Jane’s announcement brought silence to the room. The team exchanged looks before they turned to their teammate, caution and curiosity clear in their expressions. No one looked like they wanted to toss them out, but they also didn’t seem to welcome the intrusion with open arms. Not that Darcy could blame them - as wanted criminals on the run, having people pop in and out without warning probably meant bad, bad things. 

“Why me?” Wanda stepped forward, Vision at her shoulder.

“Thanos is here.” Darcy’s voice sounded absent-minded as she focused on the yellow colored stone in Vision’s forehead. Her lips twitched in amusement as she forced her gaze back to meet his eyes. “You’ve never actually met Pepper, have you?”

“Sucker bet,” Jane muttered.

“No, I have not yet had the privilege,” Vision replied, curiosity lighting his eyes as he shifted them between the two women. “Ms. Pott’s schedule did not permit a meeting prior to the dissolution of the Avengers as a single team.” He tilted his head. “May I inquire as to why this is important?”

“You’ve got her Stone.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“One problem at a time,” Natasha insisted. “Who is Thanos?”

Darcy looked at her. “Big purple alien - he’s invading New York.”

“That’s Tony’s territory,” Steve reminded her.

“Except Thanos is trying to gather the Infinity Stones.” Jane leaned against a counter. All eyes turned towards her. “If he can get all of the Stones together, he’ll be able to control . . everything. Time, space, reality . . . everything.”

Natasha frowned. “Which means what - exactly?” 

“He could destroy everything with a snap of his fingers,” Darcy replied, snapping her own as an example. “Just like that - and everything you’ve ever fought for . . . everything and everyone we’ve ever loved would be gone.”

“Is it too early to retire?” Sam muttered in a half-serious, half-humorous tone - one that seemed to be his coping mechanism.

“And what does Wanda have to do with this?” Steve pressed. “Or him?”

Jane sighed. “Thanos has the Power Stone.” 

“It belongs to her.” Darcy’s eyes flashed gold and she turned her head, staring off into the distance. She could feel something moving . . . pulling . . . Then a hand touched her arm, bringing her back. “What?”

“Are you okay?” Natasha left her hand on Darcy’s arm. “You seemed . . . far away.”

“The universe is a very noisy place.”

Everyone stared at her, confusion scrawled across their faces, but Jane rolled her eyes. “She’s the keeper of the Soul Stone,” the scientist explained. “She hears the . . . vibrations? Echos? Whatever you want to call it, she can ‘hear’ souls. They distract her.”

“That’s how we found you,” Darcy explained. “I listened for Wanda.”

“And how do you know she’s the . . . keeper of another stone?” Steve asked.

“She's our sister. Her soul has an extra sound. It’s like an extra note - maybe a bell? - or something.” Making a face, she offered him a shrug. “Kind of hard to explain.”

All at once, Jane stiffened. Darcy glanced over to find her staring at the sky, a sparkling blue glaze coating her eyes. She made a face, irritation and anger chasing each other across her delicate features. “Thanos is gone.”

“What?”

“He’s gone.” She blinked at Steve and turned to Darcy. “Two of the Stones are with him.”

“Thought he only had the Power Stone now?”

“Doctor Strange held the Time Stone.” Jane shrugged, spreading her hands. “So either Thanos got the Stone away from him, or he just took him as well.”

“Let me check something.” Now Darcy turned her eyes upwards as she reached out. Despite the old memories helping her, she felt too new at this to try feeling for a stranger, but she knew Tony. She reached . . . stretched . . . tried to feel . . . _There._ Too far away to be planetside, she touched the soul which pulsed in a familiar fashion. “Well, damn.”

A phone rang, interrupting her. Caution and uncertainty filled the faces of the Avengers around them and Darcy exchanged a glance with Jane. This didn’t look promising. Steve answered the phone. “Tony?” He paused, his brow creasing. “Bruce?”

Making the run to New York, hearing Bruce’s story and more, his explanation of all he knew about Thanos and the destruction of Asgard, explained a few things. Plus it softened Jane somewhat in regards to the topic of Thor - a big check in the plus column for Darcy. The collective Avengers discussed their next move and Steve made another call. With Tony gone, taken off to some other point of the galaxy, they needed more firepower, so he intended to recruit War Machine - if Colonel James Rhodes could be convinced to join forces.

It would mean a court martial for the man . . . and that meant it could be a tough call for the career military man.

“We’ll pick you up after we talk to Rhodes,” Steve told them. “Just to be safe, I don’t want anyone to see you with us. You’ve stayed off their radar this long - let’s keep it that way.”

“Cap,” Darcy began.

“No.” Natasha fixed a stern eye on her. “This is **not** negotiable.”

“Damn, you’re stubborn.”

“That’s nothing new,” Jane pointed out, getting an odd look from the woman in question.

“Yeah, I know.” Darcy stuck out her tongue at the unrepentant Avenger. “Somehow we always ended up with the stubborn guardians.” Then she sighed. “Oh, fine. Let me see if I can find one of the others and we’ll go there.”

“Guardians?”

“Sure.” She glanced back at Steve before smiling at Natasha. “There were six Keepers . . . and we each had our own Guardians - at least two, sometimes three.” Mischief sparkled in her gaze as she tossed a look at her best friend. “Jane **always** had three.”

“Which one of you did I get stuck with?” The redhead didn’t look surprised at her role in the history of the universe, just curious. 

“You took whichever one needed an extra at any given time,” Jane replied as she made a face at Darcy. “Since you were second in command of the Guardians, you didn’t get a permanent assignment.”

“All female force?”

“No.” The scientist shook her head. “Male and female, though it weighed more heavily female. Not surprising since the Keepers were always female.”

“Clint?”

“He was one.”

Natasha didn’t look surprised. “That explains a few things,” she murmured.

“Does it explain more when I tell you he was always assigned to Darcy?”

“It might at that,” the former spy chuckled.

“Okay,” Steve interrupted, the hint of a smile showing. “Walk down memory lane later. For now you need to go.”

“And I’ve got a line on another of our sisters.”

Colors swirled and the world changed. Darcy found herself in the quiet courtyard of a familiar campus. Old stone and brick buildings surrounded by trees . . . and she could see the nearby mountains. “Hello, Culver,” she chuckled.

“This is where you led us,” Jane reminded her, a fond smile lighting up her pixie-like face.

“Yeah, I know.” She grinned and nodded as she looked across the space. “And I see why.”

A dark haired woman dressed in dark slacks, sandals, and a deep green blouse sat on one of the many benches as she looked over some papers in her hand. A travel mug stood on the seat beside her, but she never reached for it, too focused on her reading. Pen flying across the page as she made comments, she appeared not to have noticed the two women who popped out of nowhere just moments before.

Appeared . . . 

And appearances often proved deceiving.

“If you’re here to cause trouble, I’d like to request that you hold off a few more minutes please.” The steady voice held no fear, just a calm acceptance. “I’m on my last essay and I’d prefer to get the grading finished.”

“Does that work on bad guys?” True curiosity - as well as a strong dash of humor - colored Darcy’s voice. “It shouldn’t, but I’d be willing to try it some time.”

“I’ve noticed it tends to confuse them.” The swift reply made Darcy grin, but she kept quiet as she watched Doctor Betty Ross continue marking papers. “And sometimes,” Betty continued, “a moment is all you need.”

“Ain’t that the truth?”

Betty made a couple more notes and then looked up. “May I help you?”

“Doctor Ross?” Jane stepped forward, her hand extended. “I’m Jane Foster.”

“Astrophysicist and intergalactic diplomat,” Betty nodded, shaking her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you.” A light pink dusted Jane’s cheeks. “This is my assistant, Darcy Lewis.”

“Hiya, Doc!” Darcy gave her a blinding grin. “We don’t really know how much time we have, so do you mind if jump the chit-chat part?”

“I’d prefer it actually.” Betty offered a gentle smile in return. “Especially if there’s going to be trouble.”

“Interesting hypothesis,” Jane noted.

“Based on observation,” the taller scientist assured her. “People don’t generally choose to pop out of nothingness in the middle of a university campus, risking detection by the authorities unless there’s an emergency or the potential for a problem.”

“Finally,” Darcy sighed, lifting her hands and eyes to the sky. “A scientist with some common sense.”

“So what exactly is the emergency?”

“There’s an alien invasion . . . well, part of it already happened in New York, but they left.” She grimaced. “It’ll be back - sometime soonish. I know you’ve been away from the hero-thing for a few years-”

“Not by choice,” Betty muttered.

“And that sounds more like my usual experience with science-crazy.” Darcy eyed her for a moment, then she shrugged. “We’re going to need your help.”

“Of course, certainly.”

Blue eyes narrowing, Darcy stared at the calm face of the biologist. “It’s not common sense with you, is it?”

“I once talked down the Hulk and would have gone on the run with Bruce if he’d asked.” Betty tilted her head. “What do you think?”

“That I must be a glutton for punishment.”

Jane swatted her arm. “We’re not that bad!”

“You forget to eat for days on end!” Darcy blinked at her in astonishment, hands coming to rest on her hips. “Erik tries to do science in the nude!”

“I can promise you - I am always properly clothed for work,” Betty assured her. “And as I have no intention of withering away before I get my work accomplished as well as published, I am not known for skipping meals.”

“Right…” Darcy’s fingers tapped. “Let me guess - it’s sleeping that you forget?”

“Well…”

As Betty’s voice trailed off, the younger woman nodded. “Yep, you’re definitely in the genius and/or mad scientist bracket. Good to know.”

“What help do you need?” she asked, a little too obvious in her attempt to change the subject.

“We don’t know yet, but we know you’ll be part of it.” Jane glanced up. “Not yet I don’t think?”

“Not yet,” Darcy agreed. “We can’t leave until we’ve heard back from the others, but we need you to stay with us. The right moment might come out of nowhere and we won’t have time to come back to get you.”

Betty glanced around and gathered her things. “Let me drop this at my office and get into a more sensible outfit. Then we can go wherever’s next.”

Less than an hour later, they whirled off to find their next unknowing sister...

When the world settled this time, they found themselves at the working end of several guns and Darcy rolled her eyes. “Honest to God, I’m going to be seriously pissed off if we get shot today. This is getting ridiculous.”

The guns lowered as one of the men sighed and lifted a hand. “Miss Lewis.”

“Hey, Agent Thief, you’re looking good. Maybe a little grayer.”

Phil Coulson merely lifted an eyebrow. “It’s been a difficult few years.”

“Tell me.” She scanned the group, focusing on one woman in particular. “Hey! Want to help save the world?” Her lips twitched. “Again?”

“Again?” Maria Hill blinked as she holstered her gun. “Did I miss the first time?”

“Haven’t you been helping One-Eye there all this time?” People snickered or looked appalled depending on their various personalities, but beyond giving Nick Fury a cheeky grin, Darcy ignored them. Only one answer interested her. “But you’re going to be needed in a more direct manner this time.”

“Miss Lewis,” Fury began.

“No go, Mr. Badass,” she interrupted. “You and Agent there need to take your team to cover the fallout of anything - and you know, if you could drop Ross off a bridge somewhere, I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints.”

“I can promise you won’t have trouble with the family,” Betty added, a glint of old pain and anger glittering in her eyes.

Silence fell for an awkward moment before Maria stepped forward. “Where are we going?”

“Just a damn minute!” Fury sighed, holding up a hand. “What the hell is going on?”

“Thanos,” Jane shot back. “Big alien - sent the Chitauri and Loki before and now he’s gathering the Infinity Stones - major sources of power - so he can do whatever the hell he wants. Including ending all life in the universe.” Sorrow flickered in her eyes. “He’s already decimated the survivors of Asgard.”

“So we have to get to the Stones first,” Darcy agreed. “We’re collecting the women who can handle them. Don’t worry - if we can get them all together, we’ll put a stop to the madness before he destroys anything else.”

“Why shouldn’t that worry us?” Fury stared at her through one grim eye. “That you will have your hands on that kind of power.”

She rolled her eyes. “Number one? We each only have **one** Stone - so we don’t have that power.”

“Number two,” Jane continued, “there’s a big difference between us wanting to protect the Stones from misuse and Thanos’ desire for ultimate power.” She lifted an eyebrow and nodded towards Maria. “Don’t you trust your second-in-command?”

“Technically I don’t work for SHIELD,” Maria pointed out, a subtle amusement shading her face.

“And technically Darcy and I are just civilians.”

“You are civilians,” Fury pointed out.

“Hey, we’ve got at least a couple of invasions under our belt,” Darcy pointed out. “Successfully stopped invasions, mind you.” She smirked at him. “Including one which would have ended in a threshold situation **at best** if we hadn’t been there.” Old irritation coated her voice. “SHIELD sure as hell wasn’t there to help.”

“Lewis-.”

“Sir?” Maria interrupted Fury before he could start on the next argument. They exchanged a long, speaking look. After a few moments, he frowned and backed down. She turned to Jane and Darcy. “So . . . where are we going?”

Darcy tilted her head, eyes going gold as she reached out. An affectionate smile curved her lips. “All aboard,” she said in a singsong voice. “Next stop - the middle of nowhere.”

“Middle of nowhere?” Maria’s brow knit even as she reached out to take Jane’s hand.

“Yep.”

This time they found themselves standing outside of a single house in the middle a countryside clothed in the gorgeous colors of spring. Everything felt calm and serene, a lovely place to rest, far from the wild pace of the city. 

“Which Keeper is here?” Betty asked.

“None of them.” Jane smiled at the older scientist. “I guess Darcy wanted to check on a friend . . . and another Guardian.”

“You know,” Darcy muttered, ignoring the conversation as she glanced around. “Tasha pointed a gun at us . . . so did Maria and her crew . . . and you just know Clint’s around here somewhere with all of us in his sights.” She shook her head. “I am not getting shot today, damn it!” Folding her arms over her chest, she lifted her voice. “Hey, Birdbrain!”

Laughter rang out as the door opened and Laura Barton stepped outside, her smile bright and welcoming. “Darcy Lewis - quit trying to insult my husband and come inside.”

“I’m not trying,” she promised as they walked up the steps to the farmhouse. “Just trying to be careful. Everyone’s on their trigger fingers today. It’s getting intimidating.”

“You’re intimidated?” Clint scoffed as he dropped off the roof behind them. “I’d pay good money to see that.”

“Hush, you.” Laura elbowed him. She smiled at the women. “What brings you out here?”

“Figured we’d stop by to see Clint before things went crazy.” Darcy could only shrug when he looked at her. “There’s something big happening . . . and it’s got some . . . interesting consequences if people screw this up.”

“Define ‘interesting’.”

“Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die?”

Jane made a face. “I should never have introduced you to Firefly.”

“Ladies.”

At Clint’s serious tone, the teasing dropped away and they both gave him steady looks. Jane lifted one shoulder. “Unfortunately her quote may be true,” she told him. “Thanos is gathering the six Infinity Stones - and he’s got two . . . maybe three now. If he manages to get a fourth, Darcy and I will have trouble withstanding him.”

“Why are you two the ones who’ll be facing him?”

“We’ve got two of the Stones.” Darcy looked at him, letting her power flow a little. Eyes flashing gold, she smiled. “Laura sounds like a violin,” she noted. “And you’re a piano.”

“Right. A piano.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, blinking her sight back. “It’s just what you sound like to me. I’ve got the Soul Stone and Jane’s got Space.” She grimaced. “Umm . . . you’re not going to like this part.”

“Never do.” He heaved out a sigh. “Tell me anyway.”

“The Space Stone powered the Tesseract.”

“Yep - I don’t like it.” Clint narrowed his eyes on Jane. “You feeling okay, Doc?”

“I’m good.” 

“Enough Q&A on my front porch,” Laura decided. “Come inside. Everyone can have some water or something and fill us in.”

Getting them all settled took a few minutes, but eventually people sprawled around the living room while Darcy and Jane explained the situation to Clint. He and Laura exchanged several looks - holding the kind of silent conversation only a long and devoted love could manage. Neither of them showed any surprise at the idea that Clint had once been a Guardian - Darcy’s Guardian to be precise. 

Amused maybe, but not surprised.

When the women finished speaking, Laura leaned forward. “How do you know which Stones each of the others are getting?”

“Thanks to remembering the past, our previous lives as Keepers,” Jane explained as she tapped her temple. “It’s a recognition - something we just . . . know - like how Darcy can find our sisters and I can feel the various Stones.”

“One that our Stone woke in us,” Darcy agreed. “Maria gets Reality, thank God.”

“Oh?” Maria’s eyebrows climbed. “Why?”

“Because according to everything I’ve ever heard, you’re the most down-to-earth and practical woman in existence.”

Clint laughed at that. “She’s got you pegged,” he chuckled, pointing at the brunette.

“And Betty?” Laura continued.

“She gets Time,” Jane nodded. “Which is good because she’s the calm one.” 

“Pepper gets Mind,” Darcy counted off. “And Wanda gets Power. Once all of the Stones are in the hands of their Keepers, we should be able to put Thanos in his place . . . or at least make it all but impossible for him to try and end life as we know it.”

Another long, speaking glance passed between Clint and Laura, then he rose and went upstairs. They could hear him talking and laughing with the children. Laura stood up, gathering their glasses to carry them into the kitchen. Something stirred under the placid surface of the farmhouse’s atmosphere. The four women looked around, uncertain of whether or not they should dig into it. 

Darcy’s phone rang before anyone could make up their minds. “Yo, Cap! How goes it?”

“Time to suit up,” he replied. Despite the calm sound of his voice, she could hear a strong thread of determination. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”

“We’ve got one more stop to make. Meet you in half an hour?”

“Give us forty-five.”

“See you then.” She stood up. “Sorry, guys, looks like we’ve got to go.”

Clint came downstairs in uniform as Laura walked back into the room. “I’m going.”

“Hey, now, Clint-.”

“If there’s a chance of the world ending, he’s going.” Laura moved over to kiss her husband. “He’s part of this, just like all of you and Natasha.” Her eyes remained serious even as her mouth curved in a tiny smile. “I’m depending on you to bring him home.”

“Because I needed more pressure?” Darcy hugged her. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“Then I’ll see you soon.”

When they appeared in Pepper Potts’ plush New York office, the woman in question started in surprise, shock coloring her expression before she managed to school her composure. She lifted a brow at them. “An explanation would be nice,” she informed them even as her fingers flew over her tablet. Darcy hoped she was cancelling whatever alarm their arrival set off. “I have a meeting in fifteen minutes.”

“Can you postpone it?”

Pepper frowned at her, but Maria stepped forward. “It’s an emergency - and we need to go now.”

Green eyes scanned the group and settled on Clint. At his nod, the willowy redhead sighed. Tapping on the screen as she rose, she made her way to a nondescript door in the corner. She opened it and pulled out a bag. “Very well. I’ve rescheduled. We need to hurry before security decides to be overcautious and double check despite my reassurances.” Then she fixed a stern look on Maria. “I will still require an explanation when we arrive.”

“No problem!” Darcy chirped, taking Pepper’s arm and reaching out to Jane. “Everyone hold onto your hats . . . or whatever. Time to see a man about a plan.”

Introductions and reunions took several minutes after the party of six arrived at the Quinjet, but no one minded since they’d decided to fly to their location rather than trying to travel via Jane-portation as Darcy called it. She thought they were crazy. Why spend all that time in transit? But . . . then again, they did have a bunch of stuff and suits and who knew what else. Maybe they had a point. And that did leave them time to talk and make some preliminary plans - even if Steve warned everyone those plans would probably change when they rendezvoused with their allies at their destination.

“So . . . where are we going?”

“Wakanda.”

Blue eyes blinking wide, Darcy gaped at Steve. “Really?”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

“No way!” she grinned. “This is awesome!”

Sam made a small humming noise. “Should we interrupt that?”

Everyone glanced around to follow his line of sight. He watched the quiet, but fraught staring contest going on between Bruce, Betty, and Natasha. Bruce stood in the middle and seemed uncertain of what to do or say to break the stalemate. The two women didn’t glare or frown or do anything remotely ugly, but it looked like a tightrope stretched between them as they each took the measure of the other.

“Nope.” 

“No way.”

Eyebrows rose at the near simultaneous replies from Darcy and Jane. Sam’s mouth twitched as he turned to them. “Why not?”

“You want to get in the middle of a potential situation involving a genius - and thus partly mad - scientist, the woman known as the Black Widow, and a second genius-slash-mad scientist who can turn into the Hulk?” Darcy chortled out the question. “Dude, are _you_ crazy or just an adventure junkie?”

“Trust me, just let it go.” Clint shook his head. “Don’t know about the Doc, but Tash will do better if you give her space to make up her own mind.”

Taking him at his word, the team did their best to relax and enjoy the ride. Not that it worked out all that well. Everybody knew they flew to battle - possibly the final battle, but certainly one hell of a major fight. Given what Bruce told them about Thanos - and hadn’t Clint looked pissed as all hell when he found out Thanos was the one who sent Loki and the Chitauri - none of them made the mistake of thinking this would be a cake walk.

“We’re here!”

Landing the Quinjet took no time at all, and then Darcy stepped off the ramp and got her first look around. “Hello, Wakanda,” she whistled. “Wow.”

“I am pleased you approve.”

She grinned at the regal, seriously sexy guy beside Steve. The files did not do T’Challa justice. “Not that it needs my approval,” she allowed, “but I’m giving the view and atmosphere a definite five-star rating.”

T’Challa smiled at her, his amusement clear in his dark eyes. “I look forward to hearing your opinion of the accomodations and the food.”

“Please, your majesty,” Jane huffed. “Don’t encourage her.”

“Hush, Jane.” Darcy nudged her friend with an elbow. 

“Should have known you’d be bringing the fight.”

The new voice drew her attention and she turned to watch another familiar face stroll into the room, sending a grin towards Steve and Natasha . . . and a grimace towards Sam. Obviously a story there - she’d have to get it out of someone one day.

James Buchanan Barnes - Bucky - the Winter Soldier . . . she’d read the files Pepper sent her, but she doubted they did justice to the full horror of his time under the Red Room or HYDRA’s control. While she understood Tony’s hesitation, she didn’t believe he should be held accountable for the sins committed during that time frame. From what she’d been told, Bucky felt himself both guilty and still dangerous, so he’d chosen to remain ‘on ice’ as it were under watch until his programming could be negated. Natasha and Steve each gave her a different view on the man, views from personal experience, though she knew they didn’t tell her everything. Not that she blamed them - she sure wouldn’t give anyone full details on Jane either.

One thing she did know - the pictures in the files didn’t do this man justice.

“Hello, nurse,” she muttered under her breath, an appreciative note in her voice.

Clint, leaning on a wall beside her, let out an amused bark of laughter. On the other hand, her best friend gave a soft groan. “Oh, my God, Darcy, really?” Jane murmured.

“What?” Darcy threw up her hands and waved one at Bucky. “Tell me that’s not sexy.”

“I am **not** having this discussion with you,” Jane informed her as people stared, seeming to be caught between amusement, disdain, and perplexity. 

She shrugged, turning to offer a grin to Bucky . . . who fortunately looked amused. Confused maybe, but amused. “Hi!”

“You’ve got some guts.” A keen look entered his eyes as he gave her a quick once over. “Don’t you?”

“So I’ve been told.”

Before he could reply, Darcy felt a shock go through her system and her vision went golden. She felt Jane stiffen beside her at the same moment. Sounds faded as her focus turned up . . . and up . . . and up . . .

“Uh, oh.”

“Darcy?” 

“He’s coming.” She made a face as she heard the growing cacophony of sounds circling Thanos. “I really think we should have gone to get Thor and Tony. And maybe any other hero or alien we could have found?” Alarms rang as something came into Earth’s atmosphere. Darcy could hear them talking about what to do and how to deal with whatever approached. “It’s an army,” she informed them, her eyes still trained on the ceiling, blind to the room around her. “Unthinking, blindly loyal . . . determined to kill any who oppose them.” Her sight returned as she blinked. Clint stood beside her, his own eyes narrowed on her face. She shrugged. “They’ve got blood to spare.”

“Then we will make them spare it,” Okoye announced.

“Indeed.” T’Challa turned, his eyes skimming over everyone in the room. Authority - as if the man needed more - seemed to pool around him like a living blanket of energy. “Evacuate the city,” he ordered, striding towards the door. “Engage all defenses.” Then he paused and turned back to point at Steve. “And get this man a shield.”

“Wow.” Darcy stared at him, impressed despite all she’d seen in the past few years. “Now **that’s** a king!”

She received a smile from the man in question while the woman who headed his guard and his army rolled her eyes. “To quote your friend, please do not encourage him.”

“I’ll do my best?”

“I would appreciate this.” Okoye smiled at her before directing a stern look at her king. “Do not take her seriously.”

“You do not think I am a good king?”

The teasing note in his voice made no impression on her. “You still freeze when you see Nakia.”

He shook his head, striding out the door instead of answering her. Okoye nodded to the room before following him. The rest of the fighters left as well, no one taking the time for farewells or anything of the like. Darcy appreciated the idea. Call her suspicious, but the thought of saying goodbye . . . it made her worry about self-fulfilling prophecies.

“It’s beginning.” Maria touched the window, her eyes fierce as her hand curled into a fist against the glass.

Watching out the window, the women waited as Shuri worked to remove the Mind Stone from Vision’s head. Smoke and dirt billowed in the air as the battle raged. Everyone knew of the death and destruction they couldn’t see, but they had to wait. They needed the Mind Stone before they could go to try and draw out the main villain of the piece. He had to be present - it was the only way the Keepers could claim the Stones he wore in his gauntlet.

Then a bolt of energy shot down from the sky, landing in the middle of the battlefield. 

Darcy straightened. “It’s Thanos.”

“He’s got the Time Stone.” Jane scowled, her attention zeroing in on the distant battle. “I can feel it. So Power, Reality, and Time.” 

“Wonderful.” Darcy turned her eyes to Wanda, Maria, and Betty. “You three ready for this?”

“Will it stop him?” Maria asked. Her expression remained steady, but calculations glittered in that dark look as she glared out the window. “Will it put an end to this bloodshed?”

“It’ll stop Thanos.” 

“And his army?” The stoic woman turned her demanding stare on Darcy. “What will we be able to do to them?”

“Make the fight a little more fair,” Jane sighed. “Until the Mind Stone is free and Pepper’s got it, the power’s incomplete.” One hand touched the glass as she watched the battle. “Once all of us have our power back? We end this.”

“Pepper, you need to stay here,” Maria ordered. Her gaze swept the room. “As soon as that Stone’s free-.”

“I know what to do.” Intelligence glittered in Pepper’s calm eyes. Her face smooth as porcelain, she offered a small smile. “Go. You’ll understand when you see your own Stone.” She turned to Jane. “And after?”

“Soon as we get this fixed, we’ll go get Stark.” The scientist wrinkled her nose. “Even if he does piss me off on a regular basis.”

“Yes, he’s good at that.”

Jane reached out her arms, waiting for her sisters to link up before spinning them off to the middle of battle. Wanda went to work immediately, her own powers making a big difference from the start. She kept the alien army away from them as they moved towards Thanos. At the same time she aided their allies in battle, using the alien war machines against them. The thought of all that power backed up by the Power Stone . . .

Darcy could understand Fury’s worry - but she trusted her sister . . . and the emotional bonds she’d created with her team.

Thanos spotted them. Rage suffused his face, glittering in his gaze as his hands curled into fists. “You!”

“Us.” She smirked at him. “Ready to lose?”

He scowled, but gave no reply. Power began to fluctuate around his gauntleted fist as he prepared to use the Stones in his possession. Maria, Wanda, and Betty moved forward, eyes fixed on the Stones. Their souls pulsed, a beautiful blend of bells as their memories stirred, their power and their connections beginning to open once more. Almost as one, they threw out their hands towards Thanos. For a moment he looked amused, then the shock appeared, rippling over his face as the Stones pulsed, chimed, and broke away from the gauntlet. 

“No!”

Three stones flew across the empty space.

Three hands closed over them.

Three Keepers woke to full power.

At that very moment, another bolt of energy came from the skies above - a glittering rainbow slamming into the earth. Lightning bolts flew from the center of that brightness, destroying everything it touched. 

Jane glanced over at Darcy at the sun gleamed on Thor’s armor and he ran towards Thanos. “About damn time he showed up!”

“It’s probably the traffic!”

The battle began to stall - inch by inch it became a stalemate as the powers of the five Stones, wielded by their proper keepers held the alien army at bay. Thor and Steve focused their efforts on Thanos himself - the alien vulnerable to their combined abilities now that he no longer possessed the Stones. 

A flare of joy poured through Darcy and she grinned. “Jane! Go get Pepper!” 

“Gone!”

The petite scientist disappeared and the battle grew more difficult without her, but the heroes stepped up to fill the hole. Not that it lasted long. In a few moments, Jane returned with Pepper at her side. Six women stepped forward, reaching out for each other until they stood together, linked - in hand, in mind, in power. A wave of energy shuddered across the battlefield. The attacking aliens stopped, trembled, and then fell into dust. Soon only a handful of beings - the truly sentient ones - remained to face the full might of Wakanda. Darcy might have been tempted to feel sorry for them, but hey! They brought an army to her planet - they could deal with some seriously pissed off, kick ass fighters on their own.

All on their own . . . as their leader chose to abandon them.

“You haven’t seen the last of me!” he shouted as the energy beam teleported him away. “I’ll be back!”

“That line’s been done better.” Maria huffed. Her sisters snickered as they joined her to watch some of the mopping up action done by the armed forces of Wakanda. “He should get some new material.”

Pepper glanced down at Darcy, a pleading expression gleaming filling her eyes. “I know you’re tired,” she began, “and much as I hate to ask…”

“It’s okay.” Darcy patted her arm, then turned to find Jane. “Time to go get Stark!”

“Do we have to?”

Tired as they were, Darcy and Jane started galaxy hopping again as they picked up Tony and his erstwhile companions, Spiderman - a kid named Peter - and Doctor Strange - whose name actually **was** Strange. Guy had some charisma going for him, but she wasn’t sure she’d last too long in the same place without accidentally - seriously, it would **probably** be an accident - knocking him out. At least for a little while…

It was the ego.

Dropping the kid and the guy in New York, they flit back to Wakanda for another series of reunions and introductions as well as some long-winded explanations. She ignored most of those unless Jane nudged her to help with something. No reason to listen to the same stuff all over again - she could listen to the universe instead. Actually, she’d really like to let the song of the souls send her into a nice long nap, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards any time soon given how much talking they were all doing. 

“So, now what?”

Darcy sighed, opening her eyes to look over at Wanda. “We pass out for a few days?”

“Thanos is still out there,” Bruce reminded her. 

“You seriously don’t have to tell me that.” For a moment she went blind again as the she listened to the universe. “I can hear him . . . but we’ve been running around and fighting and pulling stunts all damn day.” She frowned. “Or two days . . .or however the hell long it’s been. We’re not God - or even little gods - you know.”

“We must destroy the Gauntlet.” Thor leaned against the wall, his words for the whole room even as his eyes focused on Jane. “As long as he possesses it, he will continue to seek the Stones.”

“And we can’t be together all the time,” Maria nodded. “Together we’re invincible, but separate?”

“Separate, we’re vulnerable.” Betty crossed her legs. “Each of us hold a ridiculous amount of power . . . and we’ve all got our own weaknesses.”

Giving a soft humming noise, Darcy closed her eyes. She could feel the power in the room. Her instincts - both as the keeper of a Stone and as woman who’d spent several years on the edge of the heroic universe - poked at her.

“Stop listening to the universe and focus,” Jane huffed as she nudged her in the side. 

“I’m not listening to the universe,” she replied, eyes still closed. “I’m listening to the room.” Silence fell and she could feel the occupants all focus on her. Different souls chimed, tolled, and rang. Pursing her lips, she considered. “We have to split up - too many of us in one place for too long will draw attention.”

“Attention of the wrong sort,” Pepper agreed.

“Exactly.” Now Darcy opened her eyes. “Singles or pairs - but no more for any great length of time.” She scanned the room. “And it would be better if we’ve got some extra protection or support.”

Tony looked at Betty and Bruce, his eyes flickering to Natasha. “Did you figure out your . . . “ He waggled a finger at them. “Your . . . thing?”

The women exchanged an exasperated glance while Bruce shook his head. “Yeah, Tony, we figured it out.” A light flush colored his cheeks, but he stood behind Betty, one hand coming to rest on her shoulder. When he glanced at Natasha, a glance of fond reminiscence passed between them, but only friendship glowed there. 

“Hey, just checking!” The billionaire genius turned back to the room. “Okay, so Betty and Pepper can be at the Tower. With Bruce and I there, they’ve got their backup.”

“There are warrants still out for Wanda,” Natasha pointed out from her place at Steve’s right. “So she’ll remain in motion with the team.” Steve nodded, a quiet agreement with her statement. “She’s got support as well.”

“Three down, three to go.”

“Darcy and I are covered,” Jane announced. “Thor’s coming with us.”

“And I’m on call,” Clint added. He swung up to perch on the back of Darcy’s chair. Eyebrows went up and he shrugged. “If I don’t have them come by every few months, Laura’s going to track them down and drag them over anyway. She’s pretty sure Darcy’s the only one of all of us with any sense.”

Sam chuckled. “Has she actually _met_ her?”

“Bite me, Birdman,” Darcy shot back.

“I’d feel better if someone else accompanied you full time,” Steve interrupted. “Thor’s powerful, but even he can only cover so much of a fight at any given moment.”

“I’ll go.”

At the quiet words, Darcy’s lips curved into a pleased little smile before she glanced over her shoulder to where Bucky leaned against the wall. “Going to try and help keep us out of trouble, handsome?”

“I think I’ll manage.”

“Good luck?” Clint offered. “This makes what - three out of the four alien invasions they’ve been in the middle of? Doc and the Brat attract trouble almost as fast as Cap.”

Then he laughed as Darcy pushed him off his perch. Using a move the man had to have learned way the hell back in the circus, he managed to turn his fall into a tumble and swung right back up to where he’d been. She stuck her tongue out at him . . . he returned the favor.

“Children, please.”

Both of them turned matching innocent smiles on Tasha, getting a long-suffering sigh in answer.

“What about Maria?”

Maria lifted an eyebrow at Wanda. “I’ve got the reconstituted SHIELD,” she reminded them. “Trust me - I’m covered.” Then one corner of her mouth twitched. “And if I need backup, I know how to call for it.”

“My responsibilities lie with my people.” T’Challa stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. “Therefore I am limited in my abilities to assist you fully. However,” and here he spread his hands to indicate the room around them, “I would offer you the sanctuary of Wakanda. Should you find yourself in need of a place to rest, you will be welcome here.”

“Yes, you must come visit us,” Shuri agreed, a bright smile curving her lips as she turned to Betty. “We can discuss more of our theories.”

“Don’t take this wrong,” Tony said to Pepper, “because you know I think you’re brilliant, but-.”

“Why didn’t Betty get the Mind Stone?” she finished, affectionate exasperation in her voice.

“Well, yeah,” he admitted. “Or Shuri?”

“The world would implode from the weight of sheer intellectual power if Shuri got the Mind Stone,” Darcy laughed. “Who knows why we were born as we were? And where?” She spun in her chair. “Some power or another knew we’d need to meet and put us in the best places.”

Steve leaned against a table. “You have that much faith in fate?” 

“Guess you could call it fate.” She shook her head, shoulders lifting and falling in a small shrug. “As far as we know, Thanos has planned for gathering the Stones for years. He wanted to use them to recreate the universe according to whatever plan he had in his head, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So tell me, what are the odds?” Shifting in her chair, she propped her feet on the table and stifled a yawn. “What are the odds Thor would get himself exiled in time to land in New Mexico to meet Jane and I?” Tilting her head, she grinned. “What are the odds there’d be two World War 2 soldiers walking around in the twenty-first century to help fight the good fight?”

“Or the chances of one of the Keepers being at Culver with Bruce?” Betty added.

“Then there’s me,” Pepper agreed. “Being involved with Tony and Stark Industries.”

Maria sipped at the drink in her hand. “And me with SHIELD . . . and their Strike Team Delta.”

“Most of them were born in America,” Wanda pointed out. “But I wasn’t - I was in Sokovia where HYDRA found me.”

“There you go.” Darcy spread her hands. “Call it fate. Call it God.” She lifted her eyebrows. “But isn’t it interesting how all of the pieces came together just right to have six Keepers in the right place at the right time to have the involvement, knowledge, and personal stake in putting a stop to Thanos’ grand scheme?”

Silence fell as everyone considered her words. She let it stretch out as she closed her eyes, allowing the song of universe to lull her into a light doze. After a few minutes, quiet conversations started up, but none of them seemed to need her attention. If she were lucky, she might get a real nap - or even the luxury of a night’s sleep - before they took off for their regular lives again.

Regular for them anyway.

“Huh.” Tony sounded thoughtful, catching her attention. “Is she certifiable?”

“Just to clarify, are you talking about her sanity or her intelligence?” Clint asked, his voice a study in suppressed amusement.

“Either? Both?”

“Neither, you jerk,” Jane shot back, tone sharp. “Darcy just sees things clearly. It’s a gift.”

 _A gift . . . a curse . . . could be either._ The thought didn’t bother Darcy too much. In the end, it brought her to her family and all the insanity that went along with them. For that, she could bear the gift or the curse. Family . . . meant everything.

[ ](https://imgur.com/EYATqyX)


End file.
